Why WCAG Testing is Essential for Compliance 2022

 Unleashing the power of websitesto achieve accessibility

Businesses have been using the power of websites to enlighten current and future clients about their products and services. For example, in 2022, 71% of all small enterprises had a company website.

And it's easy to understand why: internet-based sales now account for more than 18% of all retail sales worldwide. Even if a business does not sell online products, a website can assist with sales and business discovery.

Indeed, the Internet has become an inseparable part of people's life since it saves time and provides easy access to information from the convenience of one's own home. It will be natural for you to get wanted information, including buying or doing whatever you want online, in 2022 and beyond.

That will not be possible for the more than 61 million adults in the United States, 87 million in Europe, and over one billion adults globally who live with a disability unless we all take the required efforts to make websites and other online tools accessible.

Delivering accessibility through policies and legislation

Several policies and laws address electronic and information technology (EIT) systems as they pertain to people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Revised Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act are two of the statutes. Among the policies are the accessibility white paper, accessible software design criteria, and Section 508 compliance guidelines.

We will limit ourselves to accessibility with respect to the Revised Section 508, its accompanying Section 508 accessibility standards, and the WCAG criteria for websites and web-based tools due to the focus of this article on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

The Revised Section 508 and accessibility

The Revised Section 508 requires the federal government to acquire, develop, use, and maintain accessible information and communication technology (ICT) for people with disabilities, regardless of whether they work for the federal government.

The Revised Section 508 Standards for ICT include scoping and technical standards to assure accessibility and usability by people with disabilities. Federal agencies are under obligation to comply with the Revised Section 508 and the Revised Section 508 Standards.

To assist federal agency contracting officials and government buyers in assessing ICT for accessibility when doing market research and evaluating procurement proposals, the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) worked in partnership with the General Services Administration (GSA) to create a voluntary product accessibility template (VPAT).

The VPAT is a critical accessibility tool that indicates how an EIT product or service complies with established accessibility requirements or guidelines. The VPAT accessibility architecture is now defined by three standards or guidelines: the Section 508 Standards, the European Union's EN 301 549 Standards, and the WCAG.

These standards/guidelines underpin the existing four editions of the VPAT: vpat vs wcag, VPAT Section 508, VPAT EU (EN 301 549), and VPAT International (INT).

If you want your website to be accessible to people all over the world, you'll need a VPAT statement informed by the criteria and technical specifications anchored in the VPAT INT edition. This edition of the VPAT incorporates the criteria and technical specifications from the other three VPAT editions: VPAT WCAG, VPAT Section 508, and VPAT EU.

If the website is intended to be accessed by people in the European market, it must meet the accessibility standards and technical specifications outlined in the VPAT EU (EN 301 549) edition.

To meet the standards of Revised Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the website should adhere to the criteria and technical specifications outlined in VPAT Section 508.

While VPAT Section 508, VPAT EU, and VPAT INT all contribute to the delivery of VPAT statement regarding website accessibility as expected by various accessibility jurisdictions, they all include the criteria and technical specifications for website and web-tool accessibility as anchored in theVPAT WCAG edition.

Website VPAT vs. WCAG testing

The WCAG describe the approach to be taken when testing the accessibility of websites and web-based tools for people with disabilities.Website WCAG testing adheres to four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR).

The POURimplies that the website information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive, that is, it should not be invisible to all of their senses; users must be able to operate the website’s interface and should not require interaction that a user cannot perform; the information and the operation of user interface must be understandable; and users must be able to access the content as technologies advance; respectively.

The distinction between VPAT vs. WCAG testing is that WCAG testing focuses on the criteria and technical specifications based on the WCAG standards, whereas VPAT testing assesses an EIT product or service based on the WCAG standards as well as other criteria and technical specifications derived from other accessibility standards as provided in the various editions of the VPAT.

Reasons for WCAG testing for compliance 2022

You need to ensure your website undergoes WCAG testing to ensure it is always compliant with the relevant accessibility requirements because of the following reasons:

ADA & WCAG compliance-related lawsuits
WCAG is the roadmap to ensure website compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Businesses and organizations need to be vigilant about ADA & WCAG compliance in 2022 and beyond because failure to do so could attract lawsuits and hefty penalties.

Strengthening digital presence
ADA & WCAG compliance makes websites rank high in search engines, which means that your products reach a wider audience within the targeted market segments.

Increased revenue
WCAG testing ensures that any accessibility faults detected are addressed, allowing more people with disabilities to access your website and products. This leads to an increase in conversions, sales, and revenue.

Need help with WCAGtesting for your website?

Call (626) 486-220 to speak with an ADA & WCAG compliance professional for more information and assistance in making your website accessible to all people.You could also use this free WCAG compliance checker to check the accessibility of your website.